THE WAY OF THE CROSS

Transcription

1 THE WAY OF THE CROSS Based on St. Faustina s Diary Divine Mercy in My Soul Introductory Prayer: Merciful Jesus, my Master, I desire to follow you in fidelity and imitate you each day with more perfection. For this reason I beg you, that through the meditation of your Passion, I may receive the grace of understanding each day with more perfection, the mysteries of the spiritual life. Mary, Mother of Mercy, always faithful to Christ, guide me through the steps of the sorrowful passion of your Son and grant me the necessary graces so that this Way of the Cross may be fruitful in my heart. I STATION Jesus is Condemned to Death. Jesus to Saint Faustina: Do not be surprised that you are sometimes unjustly accused. I myself first drank this cup of undeserved suffering for love of you. (289). When I was before Herod, I obtained a grace for you, that you would be able to rise above human scorn and follow faithfully in my footsteps. (1164). Saint Faustina: Jesus, we are sensitive to words and quickly want to answer back, without taking any regard as to whether it s God s will that we should speak. A silent soul is strong: no adversities will harm it if it perseveres in silence. The silent soul is capable of attaining the closest union with God. (477). Merciful Jesus, help me accept each human judgment; do not ever allow me to judge you when judging my neighbor. II STATION: Jesus takes up His Cross Jesus to Saint Faustina: Do not be afraid of suffering, I am with you, (151 ). The more you will come to love suffering, the purer your love for Me will be. (279).

2 Saint Faustina: Oh Jesus, I thank you for the Little daily crosses, for opposition to my endeavors, for the hardships of communal life, for the misinterpretation of my intentions, for humiliations at the hands of others, for the harsh way in which we are treated, for false suspicions, for poor health and loss of strength, for self-denial, for dying to myself, for lack of recognition in everything, for the upsetting of all my plans. (343). Merciful Jesus, teach me to appreciate the difficulties of life, sickness, each suffering, and with love take up my daily cross. III STATION: Jesus falls for the first time. Jesus to Saint Faustina: Involuntary offenses of souls do not hinder My love for them or prevent Me from uniting Myself with them. But voluntary offenses, obstruct my graces, and I cannot lavish My gifts on such souls. (1641). Saint Faustina: Oh my Jesus, how prone I am to evil, and this forces me to be constantly vigilant. But I do not lose heart. I trust God s grace, which abounds in the worst misery. (606). Merciful Lord, keep me from any infidelity, even the smallest one, but voluntary and consent. IV STATION: Jesus meets His Mother. Jesus to Saint Faustina: Although all the work that come into being by My will are exposed to great sufferings, consider whether any of them has been subject to greater difficulties than that work which is directly Mine The work of Redemption. You should not worry too much about adversities. (1643). Saint Faustina: I saw the Blessed Mother ( ), she came closet o me ( ) and said these words: Be courageous. Do not fear apparent obstacles, but fix your gaze upon the Passion of My Son, and in this way you will be victorious. (449). Mary, Mother of Mercy, be always with me, especially in suffering, in the same way that you were present in your Son s way of the Cross. V STATION: Simon Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross. Jesus to Saint Faustina: I permit these adversities in order to increase his merit. I do not reward for good results but for the patience and hardship undergone for My sake. (86). Saint Faustina: Oh, my Jesus, you do not give a reward for the successful performance of a work, but for the good will and the labor undertaken. Therefore, I am completely at

3 peace, even if all my undertakings and efforts should be thwarted or should come to naught. If I do all that is in my power, the rest is not my business. (952). Jesus, that each thought, each word, each activity may be done only for love of you. Purify my intentions. VI STATION: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Jesus to Saint Faustina: Know that whatever good you do for any soul, I accept it as if you had done it to Me. (1768). Saint Faustina: I am learning how to be god from Jesus, from Him who is goodness itself, so that I might be called a daughter of the heavenly Father. (669). Great love can change small things into great ones, and it is only love which lends value to our actions. (303). Lord Jesus. My Master, make my eyes, my hands, my mouth, my heart merciful. Transform me into your Mercy. VII STATION: Jesus falls for the second time. Jesus to Saint Faustina: The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too Little on Me. (1488). You must know that on your own, you can t do nothing. (639). You are not even capable of receiving my graces without my help. (738). Saint Faustina: Jesus, do not leave me alone (..). You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness; I am nothingness itself; so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I fall (1489). So You, Jesus, must stand by me constantly like a mother by a helpless child and even more so. (264). May I lean on your grace, Lord, so that I may not fall continuously on the same errors: and if I fall, help me rise and glorify your Mercy. VIII STATION: Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem. Jesus to Saint Faustina: Oh, how pleasing to Me is a living faith! (1420). I desire that you would all have more faith at the present time (352). Saint Faustina: I fervently beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so that in my drab, everyday life I will not be guided by human depositions, but by those of the spirit. Oh, how everything drags man towards the earth! But lively faith maintains the soul in the highest regions and assigns self-love it s proper place, that is to say, the lowest one. (210).

4 Merciful Lord, thank you for Holy Baptism and the grace of faith. I call you again. Lord, I believe, increase my faith! IX STATION: Jesus falls for the third time. Jesus to Saint Faustina: Know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. This will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue (...). I am always willing to forgive you. Every time you ask for it, you glorify my Mercy (1488). Saint Faustina: Oh My Jesus, in spite of your graces. I see and feel all my misery. I begin my day with a battle and end it with a battle. As soon as I conquer one obstacle, ten more appear to take its place. But I am not worried, because I know that this is the time of struggle, not peace. (606) Merciful Lord, I give you everything that is my exclusive property, that is, sin and human frailty. I beg you, that my misery may be drowned in your unfathomable Mercy. X STATION: Jesus is stripped of His Garments. Saint Faustina: Jesus was suddenly standing before me, stripped of His clothes, His body completely covered with wounds, His eyes flooded with tears and blood, His face disfigured and covered with spittle. The Lord then said to me: The bride must resemble her Betrothed. Saint Faustina: I understood these words to the very depth. There s no room for doubt here. My likeness to Jesus must be through suffering and humility(268). Jesus, meek and humble of heart, transform my heart according to your Heart. XI STATION: Jesus is nailed to the Cross. Jesus to Saint Faustina: My pupil, have great love for those who cause you suffering. Do good to those who hate you (1628). Saint Faustina: Oh my Jesus, you know what efforts are needed to live sincerely and unaffectedly with those from whom our nature flees, or with those who, deliberately or not, have made us suffer. Humanly speaking, this is impossible at such times more than others, I try to discover the Lord Jesus in such a person ad for this same Jesus, I do everything for such a people. ( 766). Oh purest Love, reign in all your plenitude in my heart and allow me to love more than what human measure allows me to. (328).

5 XII STATION: Jesus dies on the Cross. Jesus to Saint Faustina: All this is for the salvation of souls. Reflect, my daughter, about what you do for their salvation (1184). Saint Faustina: Then I saw the Lord Jesus nailed to the cross. When He had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. The second multitude were not nailed to their crosses, but they were holding them firmly in their hands. The third were neither nailed to their crosses nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging their crosses behind them and were discontent. Jesus then said to me: Jesus: Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory. (446). Jesus, my Savior, hide me in the depths of Your Heart so that nourished by your grace, I may be able to be like you in the love for the cross and in the participation of Your glory. XIII STATION: Jesus is laid in the arms of His Mother. Jesus to Saint Faustina: Most dear to me is the soul that strongly believes in my goodness and has complete trust in me. I heap my confidence upon it, and give it all it asks (453). Saint Faustina: I come to Your Mercy, compassionate God, only You are goodness itself. Although my misery is great, and my offences are many, I trust in Your mercy, because You are the God of mercy; and from time immemorial, it has never been heard of, nor do heaven or earth remember, that a soul trusting in Your mercy has been disappointed (1730) Jesus, multiply in me each day the trust in Your Mercy, so that always and everywhere I may be a witness of your goodness and infinite love. XIV STATION: Jesus is laid in the tomb. Jesus to Saint Faustina: You are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace, and fight for My kingdom in human souls; fight as a king s child would; and remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the possibility of earning merits for heaven. I expect from you ( ) a great number of souls who will glorify my mercy for all eternity (1489).

6 Saint Faustina: Every soul You have entrusted to me, Jesus, I will try to aid with prayer and sacrifice, so that your grace can work in them. Oh great Lover of souls, my Jesus, I thank you for this immense confidence with which You have deigned to place souls in our care. (245). Merciful Lord, I beg you that not even one of the souls which you have entrusted to me, may be lost. PRAYER AFTER THE WAY OF THE CROSS: My Jesus, my only hope, I am grateful for this great book you have opened before the eyes of my soul. This great book is your Passion you have confronted out of love for me. From this book I have learned how to love God and souls. Inexhaustible treasures are stored in it ( ) Oh Jesus, how few souls understand you in your martyrdom of love ( ). Happy the soul that has understood the love from the Heart of Jesus (304).